What is the phonics screening check?
The national phonics screening check is a short, statutory assessment to ensure that children are making sufficient progress in phonics skills to read words and are on track to become fluent readers, who can enjoy reading for pleasure.
When does the phonics screening take place?
All Year 1 pupils will take the phonics screening check in June. Any Year 2 child who did not pass their screening in Year 1 will have the opportunity to retake this at the same time.
How is the phonics screening check structured?
The check comprises a list of 40 words, which are made up of real and pseudo words. Within school, children know these pseudo words as alien or nonsense words. When children complete the phonics screening check, they will read these words one-to-one with their teacher in a quiet setting. They can use all the segmenting and blending skills they have learnt in school. The words are presented as a booklet with up to 4 words per page and cover the graphemes covered throughout Reception and Year 1. The pseudo words will be presented with a colourful picture of an alien.
Will I find out my child’s results?
Yes, you will find out your child’s results as part of their end of year report to parents. Following the phonics screening check, the results are used to identify which children will need further support decoding. The official pass mark has not been released for the 2022 check yet; however, in 2021, this was 32 out of 40. If your child does not meet the expected standard, then they will be provided with additional support to close any gaps in learning and will retake the assessment in Year 2.
Contact
If you have any questions or queries regarding the phonics screening check, please contact your child’s pastoral class teacher in the first instance who will endeavour to answer your query as quickly as possible. Should you feel the need to discuss this further, please contact Mrs Holt.
